tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799Thu, 02 Apr 2015 19:21:09 +0000Linuxnetbookeconomic crisisJewish holidayNorth CarolinaPresident Obamadesktop Linuxhealthcaremusic2008 electionsBarack ObamaCD reviewCentOSIsraelRed Hat Enterprise LinuxSylvania computerssnowunemployment benefitsweatherHP Mini 110John EdwardsLinux communityO'Reilly MediaPresidential electionScientific Linuxbusiness travelhealthcare reformholiday greetingsleft wing fringepoliticsright wing liessnowstormwar on terrorAsusCooking With LinuxDemocratic primariesDemocratsEeePCGreat RecessionHanukkahIsraeli musicJewish new yearLXer.comMicrosoftMobile InternetNeuroniumOccupy RaleighOccupy movementPassoverPresident BushRHELRaleigh weatherRed HatRepublicansRosh HashanaShana TovahTea PartyThanksgivingU.S. economyWindowsanti-Semitismbigotrybloggingbread and milkbudgetcable TVcensorshipclimate changeconservativescustomer servicedeficitsdepressiondiscriminationfree TVfreedom of speechglobal warminghardware failurehomophobiajudaismlayoffsleftistsright wing talking pointssecurity patchesstorm damageterrorist attacksunemployment insurancevegetarian recipeswebsiteswriting19542012 elections4th of July9-119/11AFGAIGAIG CEOAcerAfghanistanAmerican International GroupAppleArab SpringAustinBill QuistBob EtheridgeBostonBoston Marathon bombingBritainBritishBritish anti-SemitismBroadcom wirelessBush tax cutsCarlos GuiraoChristianityChristmasCircassiansCompUSADSLDali LamaDemocratic National ConventionDemocratic primaryDemocratic primayDiane FranklinDistroWatchDollar Rent A CarDr. WhoDuck DynastyDzhokhar TsarnaevELOElectric Light OrchestraErik SatieGreen PartyHPHP Hewlett-PackardHR 3862HamasHank GreenbergHelios ProjectHewlett-PackardHillary ClintonI.T. job marketITIndependence DayJerusalemJill SteinJoe WilsonJohn McCainJoseph CaoKarolinaKathleen SebeliusKen LeybaKen StarksKuiamaLGBT communityLXDELinux blogMarch snowMedicareMiMiddle EastMitt RomneyNBCNPRNewt GingrichObamacareOccupyOccupy Wall StreetOlympicsOpen Source SoftwareOsama Bin LadenPBS NewshourPakistanPalestiniansPardusPesachPhil RobertsonPuppy LinuxRand PaulRepublican PartyRepublican economic policyRoedeliusRudy GiulianiRussiaSD cardSalixOSSheshetSlackwareSochiSouthwest AirlinesSuddenlinkSupreme CourtTVTamerlan TsarnaevTeam IsraelTeam USATexasThe Linux WorksTibetTiger DirectTofurkey Italian sausageTom TancredoTropical Storm FayUKUbuntuUnited KingdomVector Linux LightWhite ChristmasWhite HouseWindows 7World Trade Center stationYom KippurZoharabortional-Qaedaanniversary of 9/11antennaanti-Zionismanti-gay lawantiwar musicapathybackupbailoutblack Fridayblame gameblaming the victimsboycottsclassical musiccomputercomputer retailerscomputerscomputingcongressional testimonycookingcorporate welfaredeath threatdebtdeceptive pricingdefensedemocratic socialismdisplaced Vermonter syndromeevilfanaticsfastingferretsfigure skatingfinancial crisisfinciancial crisisflyingforeign policyfreedomfreedom of religionfrustrationfundamentalist pastorsfundinggOSgardengardeninggay rightsgreenshabanero peppershardware vendorshate speechhealthcare bill passageheat wavehotel WiFihuman rightshurricaneshypocrisyhypocritesin flight wifiindependent thinkinginequalityinternetinternet streamingintoleranceintrusive governmentjob creationkaleknow-nothingkosher foodslatkeslibertarianslimitations on free speechmanufacturingmarketingmedia biasmeetingsmoralitymortgage crisisnanny statenew blognew websiteopenSUSEorganizingpanicphilosophyplague of tornadoespotato pancakespreparedness for warprofessional courtesyprogressive rockprotest songsracismradical Islamrecessionrecord heatrecruitersrefugeesreligionrental carsreproductive rightsreviewreviewsright wingscandalsecond great depressionsenseless killingskillsetsmear campaignsocialsimsoupsovereigntystrong-arm tacticstax breaksteacherstechnical recruitersthunderstormtikkun olamtornadoestropical stormsunprofessional conductupside-down mortgagesvegetable gardenwinter Olympicswireless connectivitywomens righstEver Increasing EntropyThe views and opinions of Caitlyn Martin on our world, politics, music, and anything else that strikes her fancy.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)Blogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-7442896282943662351Fri, 11 Apr 2014 04:45:00 +00002015-04-02T12:21:09.607-07:00CD reviewIsraeli musicprogressive rockSheshet'70s Israeli Progressive Rock: Sheshet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5VwjETA-X3c/U0dwDPxscmI/AAAAAAAAAMU/GycODPAgwa4/s1600/sheshet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5VwjETA-X3c/U0dwDPxscmI/AAAAAAAAAMU/GycODPAgwa4/s320/sheshet.jpeg" /></a></div><P>I grew up on the progressive rock of the '70s. Mostly we heard US and UK bands in the States, but some European bands, particularly Italian bands like PFM, Le Orme and New Trolls recorded songs in English and had a following in the U.S. Israeli prog? Not so much. First, it never was a terribly popular sound in Israel from what I can gather, and without a big commercial success in their home country these bands just didn't get exported. I only discovered them in recent years and a few were truly exceptional.</p> <p><a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/3646289-Sheshet">Sheshet</a> is my personal favorite, a band that was as good as anything that came out of the US or UK. They had Yehudit Ravitz for a vocalist and acoustic guitarist and Shem-Tov Levi on flute and vocals. He also wrote most of the music, which is an amazing mix of the softer side of progressive rock and Canterbury scene style jazz, plus unique touches of their own. Prog bands always needed exceptional keyboardists and Sheshet had one in Adi Renert.</p> <p>The 30th anniversary deluxe edition, released in 2007, is a two CD set currently available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-artist=Sheshet&search-alias=music">Amazon</a>. The first disc is their self-titled debut album, which was exceptional from beginning to end. Some tracks have Yehudit Ravitz singing lead; others have group vocals. Some of the album has Hebrew lyrics but there is also a lot of wordless vocalise. I always loved when Annie Haslam did that with Renaissance. It takes a talented singer to pull that off well and Yehudit Ravitz is up for the task. The one track that was a single in Israel is All Thumbs Samba, a track which really is a samba with Hebrew lyrics. Despite the very different sound from the other tracks it has enough depth added to make it fit seamlessly into the album.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dg0jIlu3TkE?list=PL7B8CF15B1C2A6991" width="459"></iframe>Their second and final album is the soundtrack to the film "The Stretcher March" (1977). It's filled with lovely prog instrumentals and more vocalise. The 30th anniversary deluxe CD reissue of Sheshet's self-titled debut includes all the original, previously unreleased music from the film on a second bonus CD. (The three tracks that appeared on both albums are only on the first disc.) It includes two versions of the theme song from the film. The disc opens with an instrumental version and finishes with a vocal version, with Gidi Gov singing lead. The one set basically gives you everything the band ever recorded. I can't recommend this one highly enough.</P><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AdC9lb2Epvs" width="459"></iframe><p>Notes: Photos from the CD booklet. This review was originally written for Amazon with some minor differences. Also published on <a href="http://israel-aliya.blogspot.com/2014/04/70s-israeli-progressive-rock-sheshet.html">my pro-Israel/Zionist blog</a>.</P>http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2014/04/i-grew-up-on-progressive-rock-of-70s.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-4247988402660490421Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:45:00 +00002014-02-08T17:55:19.654-08:00anti-SemitismGreen PartyinequalityJill Steinleft wing fringeOccupy movementOccupy RaleighOccupy Wall StreetorganizingRepublican PartyOccupy Wall Street: The Final Implosion and the Impact on My PoliticsIt seems Occupy Wall Street has finally <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/occupy-wall-streets-final-implosion">imploded and died</a>. I say good riddance to bad rubbish. Yes, I supported Occupy for a period of weeks, much to my shame. Once Occupy got away from a populist economic message and went off into far left nonsense it was doomed. Huge clue: Marxist teach ins don't fly in America. Neither does the over the top anti-Semitism that came to pervade the so-called movement.<br><br> The fact is that Occupy has been dead for a couple of years now. Those in the hard core left-wing social media bubble don't realize it because they've supported one another and somehow think lots of other people agree with them. These, of course, are the folks who think President Obama is a corporate sell out and who either stayed home during the 2012 elections or supported <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Stein">Jill Stein</a> for President. How many votes did she get? Getting 0.36 percent of the vote is not making an impact. You see my point. Occupy had become another piece of the extreme left wing, and hard left politics are terribly unpopular in the U.S.<br><br> Occupy did have an impact. It made income inequality an issue Democrats and even some Republicans are still talking about. It deserves some credit for that. However, a "leaderless" organization (or rather disorganization) which tried to make decisions by "consensus" was doomed to failure from the start. An organization like this needs leadership, real leadership, that can keep it on message and keep that message narrowly defined. That's how things can get accomplished and how progress towards the worthwhile goals that Occupy started out with can be made. Right now the name Occupy is poison to anyone not on the far left. If you really want a populist, non-partisan movement with broad based support you need focus, first and foremost.<br><br> I had been drifting from right to left politically for a very long time when I joined Occupy, willing to devote time and resources to what I saw as a worthwhile movement against corruption, undue corporate influence and for needed economic reform. Since that brief period, since I became more tuned into left wing media and what the left stands for, I've been moving in the opposite direction. I fully expect to vote Republican for the first time in a quarter of a century in the 2014 elections. That's the one positive change Occupy did make in my life. Congratulations! I don't think that was the intent of the movement but it sure convinced me that was the correct and moral direction for me to move in.<br><br> [Drawn from a debate on Facebook,] http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2014/02/occupy-wall-street-final-implosion-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-8338735396062369446Fri, 07 Feb 2014 23:04:00 +00002014-02-07T17:46:35.760-08:00anti-gay lawboycottsCircassiansfigure skatinghomophobiahuman rightsNBCOlympicsRussiaSochiTeam IsraelTeam USAwinter OlympicsWhy I'm Not Boycotting the Olympics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DsM7Hmm1nak/UvVlzHqOZ7I/AAAAAAAAAME/J0BzuFxhbTE/s1600/gaysochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DsM7Hmm1nak/UvVlzHqOZ7I/AAAAAAAAAME/J0BzuFxhbTE/s320/gaysochi.jpg" /></a></div>A lot of my friends are boycotting watching the Olympics. Some are opposed to the <a href="http://www.policymic.com/articles/58649/russia-s-anti-gay-law-spelled-out-in-plain-english">anti-gay law</a> passed in Putin's Russia and the oppression of the LGBT community. Some are opposed to the desecration of the site <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/circassians-protest-winter-olympics-being-held-sochi-genocide-site-1553582">where Circassian people</a> (who are native to the Sochi area) were massacred in order to build ski slopes. Some are opposed to the senseless <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-sochi-olympics-kill-stray-dogs-20140206,0,7872316.story">killing of dogs</a>, mostly strays, so that they don't bother those attending the Olympics. Some are opposed to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/02/07/olympic-host-countries-and-human-rights/5265659/">Russia's hideous human rights record</a> in general. I am opposed to all of those things. They are all horrible and the Olympics should never have been held in Russia. I <a href="http://www.dw.de/human-rights-groups-criticize-ioc-over-sochi-abuses/a-17415362">blame the IOC</a> for choosing sites in countries that have no respect for human rights and that is where protests should be focused.<br><br> I am not boycotting. I watched last night. It was on <a href="http://www.wncn.com/category/277501/2014-winter-olympic-games">broadcast TV</a> (I have neither cable nor satellite) so there is nobody anyone can count or any way bean counters can tell that I watched for ratings purposes. Nobody in Russia benefits from my watching. Advertisers can only make a negative impression on me by cashing in on the Olympics so they won't benefit either. I love figure skating and I support <a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4485641,00.html">Team Israel</a> and <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/team-usa">Team USA</a>.<br><br> I enjoyed watching the first part of the first ever figure skating team competition. The Canadian couple of <a href="http://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/pairs-figure-skating-team-event-underway.html">Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford</a> is awesome and had an amazing performance, as did Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan. Scott Hamilton called <a href="http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/02/meet-yuzuru-hanyu-your-first-figure-skating-olympic-star/357808/">his performance</a> "sick".<br><br> I also think <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/">NBC</a> and Bob Costas deserve huge kudos for their coverage of the anti-gay law. First, they spent a lot of time on the subject and called a lot of attention to it. Their two Russian analysts were amazingly good. One, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Posner">Vladimir Posner</a>, the former Soviet spokesperson, said it best: "Russia is a homophobic country." The law has the support of 85% of the population. He also made clear that Putin doesn't give a damn what anyone in the West thinks. Posner also pointed out that Putin is "an autocrat, not a democrat" and that the protests against the law are by "urban, liberal intelligentsia" and not the masses, who are, as he said, homophobic.<br><br> That kind of coverage does Putin and Russia no favors, and it was smack in the middle of prime time between figure skating and skiing segments. I'm glad I watched it. The anti-gay law was presented in an entirely unfavorable way. I'm sure the bigots in the audience hated that coverage.<br><br> What I am doing is using a rainbow flag with the Olympic rings as my Facebook profile picture to show solidarity with the LGBT community in Russia, and I urge everyone who cares about human rights to do the same.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2014/02/why-im-not-boycotting-olympics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-5258618498337443090Tue, 04 Feb 2014 23:36:00 +00002014-02-04T15:36:40.271-08:00kosher foodssoupvegetarian recipesA Note About Dinner and Kosher Foods in America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nj_Zq49qkLE/UvF4UWNR0pI/AAAAAAAAALk/atR9zcEePuo/s1600/soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nj_Zq49qkLE/UvF4UWNR0pI/AAAAAAAAALk/atR9zcEePuo/s320/soup.jpg" /></a></div>I made a big pot of bean and leek soup (with carrots, garlic, a little bit of onion, a finely minced habanero pepper to add a little kick, plus spices) in a Crock Pot. I had some as part of dinner tonight topped with some shaved Parmesan cheese, with a piece of baked Alaskan cod and a piece of very fresh rye bread. It's wonderful, but since it's just me that eats it I'll be having it for a week or more. That's why I do things like this (big pots of soup, chili or cholent) so infrequently.<br><br> I used half of a bag of a 15 bean mix intended for soup. It had the appropriate kosher certification on it. On the back cover it had a soup recipe which started by telling me I'd <b><i>need</i></b> 1 lb. of ham hocks. Really? Tell me this: why would a company go through the expense of kosher certification and then only put a blatantly <i>treyfe</i> recipe on the back of the package? Wouldn't it be better to have two recipes, one of which appeals to the people who looked for that symbol of <i>kashrut</i> and perhaps vegetarians as well? Wouldn't that make more sense? Trust me on this: you can make a delicious soup from those beans without any pork.<br><br> [Note: This started out as a Facebook post. I've also published it in <a href="http://israel-aliya.blogspot.com/">my Zionist/Jewish blog</a> since it does touch on Jewish dietary laws.]http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-note-about-dinner-and-kosher-foods-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-2227827210876888012Fri, 20 Dec 2013 06:50:00 +00002013-12-19T22:50:29.959-08:00conservativesDuck Dynastyfundamentalist pastorsgay rightshate speechhypocritesLGBT communityNorth CarolinaPhil RobertsonOn Phil Robertson, Hate and HypocrisyOn the whole Duck Dynasty thing... I'm perhaps a bit sensitive about this issue but I live in North Carolina. We have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/north-carolina-pastor-gay-rant-starvation_n_1533463.html">one pastor here</a> who wanted to round up all the "queers" and lesbians, fence them in (a concentration camp) and kill them off. We have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/north-carolina-pastor-sea_n_1468618.html">another who urged parents to beat</a> the gay out of their sons. Here in the South lots of people cheer those attitudes and really do want the LGBT community dead or gone. To quote one of the leaders of the Amendment One campaign, "We don't want them here." (Amendment One took the law against same sex marriage here and added it to the state constitution. It is currently being challenged in court.)<br><br> Phil Robertson has influence due to his celebrity. His words are likely to be used to justify more violence against the LGBT community here in the South and we have too much of that already. Words have power. Sure, he has the right to hold whatever beliefs he has, no matter how despicable I find them. However, he has been given a public platform and has used it in a way that can do real harm. For that reason I really cannot accept any of the defending of him I see online, and I really, really am outraged by those who turn him into some kind of hero.<br><br> Also, as an <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/19/the-right-s-duck-dynasty-hypocrisy.html">excellent article by Dean Obeidallah</a> in The Daily Beast points out, those who are up in arms that Robertson was suspended by A&E are raging hypocrites. Those same people were ready to pillory Martin Bashir for making nasty statements about one person: Sarah Palin. These people didn't champion Alec Baldwin's homophobic statements or his firing from MSNBC because he isn't a conservative.<br><br> Surely, equating gay people with terrorists and with bestiality can and should be considered hateful. Saying that black people were happier in the Jim Crow South before integration is certainly racist. It should never be defended and A&E has every right to hold the man accountable for his statements.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/12/on-phil-robertson-hate-and-hypocrisy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-3473399743832445171Tue, 17 Dec 2013 08:23:00 +00002013-12-17T00:23:23.758-08:00frustrationphilosophytikkun olamWith All the Things Wrong in This World... My Take.I wrote this for a friend who expressed real frustration with the state of the world on a Facebook page. I decided it's something I want to share with everyone with only minor editing:<br><br> I've had the good fortune to travel the world in my career. I have family and friends scattered all over the world that I keep in touch with. I'm a citizen of two countries and I'm probably eligible for citizenship in three more. Most people are decent everywhere my travels have taken me.<br><br> Are governments flawed? Yep, everywhere. For all it's flaws the U.S. is still ahead of most of the world in more areas that you'd imagine. There are judges who should never be judges. There are terrible decisions made by people who just don't get it. Still, I find a lot more that's hopeful about our world today than the one that existed when I was young.<br><br> Don't give up on the world. We Jews have an obligation called "tikkun olam", literally fixing the world. We each are supposed to do our little part to leave the world a better place than we found it. I think if we all (not just Jews but everyone) embrace that concept we can all make a small difference in our own little way. Lots of small differences can add up to a large change.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/12/with-all-things-wrong-in-this-world-my.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-4124461727099977728Sun, 25 Aug 2013 01:01:00 +00002013-08-24T18:01:59.842-07:00CD reviewIsraeli musicKarolinamusicZoharReview: Karolina - Zohar (Special Edition)For the first time since November, 2005 I wrote a product review for Amazon. Eight years ago it was a book I really enjoyed; this time it's a two CD boxed set: <hr><br><br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7ntf0k-fNg/UhlRyZFVXMI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ip1JwnFVNlo/s1600/zohar-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: center; float: center; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7ntf0k-fNg/UhlRyZFVXMI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ip1JwnFVNlo/s1600/zohar-blog.jpg" /></a></div>If you've heard either Funset's "Pumpkin Ragga" or <a href="http://habanot.com/">Habanot Nechama</a> you probably already know that <a href="http://http://karolina.co.il/english">Karolina</a> (Keren Avratz) has an amazingly flexible and expressive voice and is a very capable songwriter. When she sings in English her Israeli accent is thick enough to cut with a knife but somehow that doesn't matter.<br><br> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BYGPNJC">"Zohar" (Glamor)</a> is her second solo album. The original CD was rather short and included two different versions of Al Te'ahar (Don't Be Late), with an acoustic rendition closing the album. On this album she drops the soul and reggae influences which were so evident on her first album and with Funset and adds a little Mizrahi flavor, even though she is not from that tradition. Zohar, with the exception of her Chanson For Lebanon, has a much more contemporary feel. The words are entirely in Hebrew with the exception of "Save Me From Myself", and surprisingly that may be my favorite from this album. <br><br> The new version adds an EP of covers, three well known Israeli songs from the '60s and '70s plus a collaboration with Boom Pam on a version of Led Zeppelin's Black Dog, with a surprising amount of Middle Eastern flavor added to the instrumentation. Karolina practically channels Cilla Dagan, who sang the original version of Yom Bo Yakom, and does a beautiful rendition of Zohar Argov's Tzel Etz Tamar (Shadow of the Palm Tree).<br><br> This is an album I just keep going back to again and again. Definitely pick up the Special Edition if you're going to get a copy of Zohar. It's more than worth a little bit extra to hear Karolina rework the old songs.<br><hr><br>Here are a couple of songs from the album:<br><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ujtRb_4nD2s?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/l_axGGiAtt4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/08/review-karolina-zohar-special-edition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-8472492020249772620Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:09:00 +00002013-07-16T10:12:30.492-07:00meetingsprofessional courtesyunprofessional conductIs Professional Courtesy a Thing of the Past?Last week I had blocked time for a phone call and for a meeting down in Houston. I was supposed to get a confirmation call for the Houston meeting on Monday. Neither of the calls ever came. I followed up, of course, and both phone messages and e-mail went unanswered.<br><br> Once upon a time, not too long ago, if you scheduled time with a professional in any field and you needed to cancel you called to let them know. You didn't just pull a no show unless something was seriously wrong. There is no shame in saying things aren't going to work out for whatever reason. You don't even need to give a reason. In this day and age, with smartphones everywhere, giving the courtesy of a note cancelling a meeting takes a few minute and can be done by phone, text or e-mail.<br><br> I find it amazing, not to mention incredibly unprofessional, than one person in the business world would simply stand up another like this. Time is valuable. Is professional courtesy dead? Is it a thing of the past. Sadly, it seems to be.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/07/is-professional-courtesy-thing-of-past.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-5251767214288069649Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:17:00 +00002013-06-10T21:27:05.483-07:00cookinggreenskaleTofurkey Italian sausagevegetarian recipesI Ate Kale and It Didn't Kill MeI have a great friend. She's becoming more health conscious and is doing a great job of losing weight. The one problem she has is what she likes to eat. Her idea of eating green is mint chocolate chip ice cream. She will tell you that she eats vegetables because she eats potatoes. Seriously, if it's a green vegetable she hates it. If it's fish she says it will make her throw up. She's a meat and potatoes type... and pizza. Pizza is a major food group for her. None of this sounds like a healthy diet, does it?<br><br> Me, well... I like most vegetables and I eat lots of them. The ones I really don't like I can count on the fingers of my right hand and still have fingers left over. I hate asparagus. I really don't like endive. Kale (and most greens) taste bitter to me. Why have kale when you can have spinach? I like spinach.<br><br> <p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUwm13TQtB0/Ubag19VlvsI/AAAAAAAAAKY/i1v_pajIcNo/s1600/kale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUwm13TQtB0/Ubag19VlvsI/AAAAAAAAAKY/i1v_pajIcNo/s320/kale.jpg" /></a>Imagine my surprise when my meat and potatoes friend calls me asking for kale recipes. Kale? She's going to eat kale? She read somewhere that it's a <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38">super food</a> and really good for her and she wants a way to prepare kale that will taste good to her. Oof! Almost any other vegetable and I would have clever ideas. Spinach recipes, I have endless spinach recipes. Kale? I've got nothing.</p> I've never been one to shy away from a good challenge and I need to lose weight too. If kale is this super food then maybe I need to learn how to make tasty kale, right? Sure. My first attempt, suggested <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/sauteed-kale-recipe/index.html">by Bobby Flay</a> online, didn't turn out so well. Maybe I didn't cook it enough, or maybe just garlic isn't enough to mask the bitterness, but let's just say I didn't eat it. I also found raw <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/16/fashion/kale-salads-are-hot-in-manhattan-social-circles.html">kale salad</a> suggestions. I'd rather eat newspaper. It isn't as bitter and the texture is better.<br><br> Tonight it turned out the third time was the charm. I sauteed the kale in very good <a href="http://www.halutza.com/">Halutza extra virgin olive oil</a> from Israel. I used more garlic. I added chopped green onion. I also used <a href="http://store.valueweb.com/servlet/hertfare/Detail?no=1">Heritage Fair Greens Seasoning</a>. I cooked it longer and got it a bit softer. It really wasn't bad at all the way I made it. My main dish was vegetarian <a href="http://www.tofurky.com/tofurkyproducts/sausages.html">Tofurkey Italian style sausage</a> and peppers (three kinds) with mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, yellow squash and green onion in a tomato based pasta sauce over Jewish style egg noodles. It ended up being a nice dinner.<br><br> OK, I ate kale and it didn't kill me. I have a tiny bit left over in a Tupperware in the fridge. I wonder if it would be good in an omelet in the morning. Hmmm... [Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons]http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/06/i-ate-kale-and-it-didnt-kill-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-2405353883292230686Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:08:00 +00002013-04-21T13:08:06.176-07:00blame gameblaming the victimsBostonBoston Marathon bombingDzhokhar Tsarnaevleft wing fringeleftistsradical IslamTamerlan Tsarnaevterrorist attacksThe Boston Blame Game: Left Wing Editon<font=-2>[NOTE: This will eventually be a rare cross-posted to my blog about Israel and Zionism since it touches at least tangentially upon the issues there.]<br><br></font> Ever since the Boston Marathon bombings lots on lots of people on the Internet are playing a despicable blame game, blaming everyone and anyone they don't like for the terrorist attack; anyone except <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/04/20/178112198/the-tsarnaev-brothers-what-we-know-about-the-boston-bombing-suspects">Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev</a>, that is. The conspiracy theorist version of the blame game includes claiming this was actually a U.S. government plot or an Israeli/Mossad "false flag operation". The right wing version often includes blaming Islam as a whole and every Muslim on the planet. For right now I'm going to pick on a left wing version: blaming the victims (the United States) and our friends in the world. <br><br> It's pretty easy for hard core left wingers to blame American foreign policy here: the use of drones in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq and American support of Israel are used as prime examples. The United States is blamed, often solely blamed, for the loss of innocent lives throughout the Muslim world. Here is a dose of reality: radical Islamists have declared war on the West. When you're attacked you do have to respond. Anything else is perceived as weakness and encourages more violence. Are innocent lives are lost? That is the sad and tragic reality in any war. Yes, if we have a choice war needs to be a last resort. Sometimes, sadly, it is the only resort left.<br><br> The problem with radical Islam, something which is growing and spreading like a cancer in the Muslim world, is that people are taught to hate in their schools, in their mosques and in the media. Add a very large poor population, poorly educated or hardly educated at all, a relatively low literacy rate, and little or no access to other viewpoints. If the infidel or the American or the Jew or the Israeli or the European is made a scapegoat for all that is wrong in their lives the hatred is there. It doesn't require a drone strike or ill advised foreign policy to nurture that hatred.<br><br> Some ultraliberals, when referring to the Muslim world, talk about how we ignore or harm "the government(s) that represents those people". In the Islamic world there are only such representative governments in Turkey, Indonesia, and Iraqi Kurdistan, which is independent from the rest of Iraq in many respects. Everywhere else you have dictatorships and theocracies that vary only in the extent to which they brutalize their own people. The worst poverty I have ever seen was in a Muslim country I visited several times on business. If I took the time to describe what I saw your heart would break. The sad truth is those kind of scenes are repeated in many, many countries throughout the Islamic world.<br><br> The poverty I refer to wasn't caused by drones, by American meddling or by any other excuse used to explain the problem. Those issues are factors but, honestly, they are relatively minor factors. They serve as propaganda points for those stoking the hate. No American government policy included meddling in Chechnya, where the Tsarnaev's come from. Honestly, that excuse is nothing more than an excuse.<br><br> The conflict between a modern, tolerant view of Islam and the more radical and fundamentalist view has been going on for more than a thousand years. To blame recent policies, no matter how short sighted or flawed, is to ignore history. The principle blame here belongs to the terrorists, to the ideology they followed, and to those who promote that ideology and justify terrorism. A small dose of blame goes to the left-wingers who enable terrorism by blaming the victims rather than the real sources of the problem. http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-boston-blame-game-left-wing-editon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-1192035858939045929Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:08:00 +00002013-04-21T12:15:01.461-07:00bloggingIsraelwritingWriting AgainOK, this was long past due. In my frustration with the crap about Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict I read here on Facebook I've started writing <a href="<a href="http://israel-aliya.blogspot.com">my blog</a> on the subject again. I've also applied for a <a href="http="www.timesofisrael.com">Times of Israel</a> blog. We'll see what happens there.<br><br> Anyway, My <a href="http://israel-aliya.blogspot.com/2013/04/israel-is-always-ready-to-negotiate-for.html">latest article</a> started out as a comment on Facebook. I've cleaned it up, added supporting facts and links. Lots more to follow...http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/04/ok-this-was-long-past-due.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-8195610032193821705Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:52:00 +00002013-02-08T16:56:57.126-08:00antennacable TVDSLfree TVinternetMobile InternetSuddenlinkGoodbye Again, Cable. You Won't Be Missed.Early this morning my internet connectivity disappeared. I have a cable modem so I checked to see if I had television service. Nope, it was out as well. So... I called the cable company, Suddenlink. They were very expensive to start with when I moved here in September and they increased the price to incredibly expensive in January. It turns out they wanted to charge me another $40 just to find out what's wrong unless I paid them even more per month. I had an even better idea. I discontinued the service. I reactivated my mobile broadband and did what I had to do. Yes, I temporarily am using a slower internet connection but even if I kept the mobile broadband full time it's way, way less expensive. Oh, and yes, I have unlimited service.<br><br> I did end up watching the news on TV in HD this evening. My little indoor antenna does pull in a few stations even here. Somehow I don't think cable will be back or that it will be missed.<br><br> I will be looking into possibly getting DSL service since it's both faster than my mobile broadband and fairly inexpensive here. Then I might just look into a Netflix subscription which, combined with DSL, would still cost a fraction of what digital cable plus internet cost me. Sorry, Suddenlink, I'm not made of money and your combination of high prices and poor service has cost you a customer.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2013/02/goodbye-again-cable-you-wont-be-missed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-2039906239540332096Fri, 07 Sep 2012 22:17:00 +00002012-09-07T15:18:30.318-07:00computingITLinuxnew blogO'Reilly MediaThe Linux WorkswritingThe Linux Works: A New Linux BlogI have a new Linux blog, one which will have articles I would have published at <a href="http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/2654?all=yes#Blog">O'Reilly Broadcast</a> (or O'Reilly News or Linux Dev Center) in the past. As most of you know, I wrote/blogged for O'Reilly about Linux from 2006 until May, 2012. O'Reilly's blog sites are still there but they've done away with Linux blogging. I've also written features for <a href="http://www.distrowatch.com">DistroWatch</a> but my involvement in the development of a Linux distribution makes continuing there appear to be a conflict of interest. More on that soon.<br><br> I used to occasionally post about Linux or computing in general here but with all the political posting on the same blog there were some pretty nasty and negative comments. Some people just didn't understand that the two things were separate and had nothing to do with one another. Yes, both sets of posts represented my views, but on very different subjects that should not be conflated. To avoid that problem I've started <a href="http://thelinuxworks.blogspot.com">The Linux Works</a>. <br><br> As the disclaimer on that page makes clear, it is in no way endorsed or authorized by <a href="http://www.linuxfoundation.org">The Linux Foundation</a>. It simply represents my experiences and opinions as a Linux professional who works with the Open Source operating system each and every day.<br><br> I'll also be rebooting this blog and my dormant <a href="http://israel-aliya.blogspot.com">pro-Israel/Zionist blog</a> in the coming days. If you are reading this I hope you will take the time to read and comment on the various posts and articles. Enjoy!http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-linux-works-new-linux-blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-1166490869818024836Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:07:00 +00002012-08-13T14:15:04.162-07:002012 electionsDemocratic National ConventionDemocratsleft wing fringeleftistsOccupyOccupy movementOccupy RaleighPresident ObamaPresidential electionRepublican economic policyU.S. economyWall Street South? You've Got To Be Kidding Me!The left wing in this country has never been able to tell their friends from their enemies and attack both equally. Sometimes they go after their friends more than their enemies, much to the joy of the right. We're seeing something like that with the so-called "Occupy Movement" (who mostly gave up occupation of parks and the like last winter) with their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/354685371252793/">March on Wall Street South</a>. What is Wall Street South? Why, it's the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC next month.<br><br> The Occu-tistas seem to have forgotten that it's the Republicans who continually <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/16/us-financial-regulation-republicans-lett-idUSTRE63F53520100416">oppose all reform of the financial industry</a> while support for reigning in the excesses of Wall Street come entirely from the Democrats in Congress. They seem to have forgotten that Republicans want welfare for big corporations (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/29/politics/oil-subsidies/">like the big oil companies</a>, for example) while cutting any <a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/gop-defense-cuts-poverty-poor.php">aid to the poor</a>. The Republicans support <a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world_business/view/1097876/1/.html">tax breaks for the wealthiest</a> Americans while voting down anything that might (gasp!) involve <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/12/republicans-defeat-obama-jobs-bill">government spending to create jobs</a>.<br><br> The Occupy crowd, which once claimed to represent a broad spectrum of the American population who felt abused by Washington and Wall Street alike, has once again shown that it has been diminished to a creature of the far left fringe. That's been obvious for quite some time now, at least here in Raleigh, where their Facebook page has advertised everything from a Marxist teach-in to a protest against a potential war in Iran and also against any sanctions against Iran. These people are as dangerous to our freedoms as the people on the far right they oppose.<br><br> Some Occupiers have been saying that there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans for some time despite all evidence and all the voting records to the contrary. Folks on the left who held similar views in Florida handed the 2000 election to George W. Bush. In a state where the election was officially <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2000">decided by 537 votes</a>, 1.6% of the electorate <a href="http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2000&off=0&elect=0&fips=12&f=0">voted for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader</a>. If most of those votes had gone to Al Gore instead he would have easily been elected President. Once again we face a close election and once again I fear the hard left, either by sitting home or by voting for fringe candidates, will hand the election to a now much more radical right-wing Republican Party.<br><br> I am certainly a liberal on some domestic issues and on social issues. Let me make one thing clear: I strongly support the Democrats attending the Democratic National Convention. I strongly opposed the leftist protesters outside who are, once again, aiding those they claim to oppose most.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/08/wall-street-south-youve-got-to-be.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-1310134810120733691Mon, 02 Jul 2012 01:16:00 +00002012-07-01T18:17:34.615-07:00budgetdebtdeficitshealthcarehealthcare reformObamacareSupreme CourtHow 'Obamacare' Saves Money for All AmericansThe following was written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her opinion on last week's Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act (a/k/a Obamacare): <blockquote>"Unlike markets for most products, the inability to pay for care does not mean that an uninsured individual will receive no care. Federal and state law, as well as professional obligations and embedded social norms, require hospitals and physicians to provide care when it is most needed, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. As a consequence, medical-care providers deliver significant amounts of care to the uninsured for which the providers receive no payment.<br><br> Health-care providers do not absorb these bad debts. Instead, they raise their prices, passing along the cost of uncompensated care to those who do pay. In response, private insurers increase their premiums, shifting the cost onto those who carry insurance. The net result: Those with health insurance subsidize the medical care of those without it.<br><br> The size of this subsidy is considerable. Congress found that the cost-shifting just described "increases family [insurance] premiums by on average over $1,000 a year." Higher premiums, in turn, render health insurance less affordable, forcing more people to go without insurance and leading to further cost-shifting. Congress therefore passed the individual mandate provision of the ACA to address an economic and social problem that has plagued the nation for decades."</blockquote>These are the facts that the Republicans blissfully ignore when complaining about the cost of the Affordable Care Act. They also ignore the fact that according to the non-partisan General Accounting Office (GAO) 'Obamacare' reduced the deficit by $300 billion, so a repeal would mean higher deficits and more debts. I guess that only matter to Republicans when cutting programs that help the middle class and the poor.<br><br> A huge tip of the hat to Democratic NC House candidate <a href="http://www.wattjones.com/">Watt Jones</a> for providing the quote.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-obamacare-saves-money-for-all.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-3773029451155135552Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:39:00 +00002012-07-01T18:32:37.635-07:00business travelcustomer serviceDollar Rent A Carrental carsDo They Realy Get Away With This?I had about an 80 mile drive each way from the airport in Houston to where I had to be on Thursday and Friday of last week. I also wanted to explore the area a bit so I expected to go through the better part of a tank of gas. A rental car was booked for me with Dollar Rent A Car. <br><br> When I got to the rental car check in at <a href="http://houstonhobby.com/">Hobby Airport</a> I went through all the routine questions. I was asked if I wanted their prepaid gas option, which would mean I wouldn’t have to fill up on the way back. I said “no” because that option is usually expensive. The clerk insisted. He said they charge $3.39/gallon while prices on the street were $3.50 - $3.75. OK, that made it worthwhile. I took it.<br><br> As I headed down the street to the freeway the first gas station I came to was charging $3.25/gallon. The first one I saw from the freeway charged $3.17/gallon. The clerk had lied to my face to get me to take the option. I was furious. I shared what happened with one of the guys I was meeting. He laughed and said that rental car companies do that to make a few more dollars. Really? This sort of lying to customers is condoned? Is that what customer service in Houston is like nowadays?<br><br> On Friday when I checked in I asked to talk to a manager and I explained what had happened. The manager was good. He took off the charge immediately and even though I volunteered to take the car to get the tank filled he said I didn’t have to. He saved me the cost of gas for my trouble and called what happened “unacceptable.”<br><br> I hope that manager was honest with me. I hope this sort of thing isn’t routinely tolerated or encouraged. My question is this: how many times has the clerk done this before someone complained? Has he been getting away with it? Do they really get away with this?http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/06/do-they-realy-get-away-with-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-5149073508814803263Tue, 26 Jun 2012 22:40:00 +00002012-06-27T14:40:04.908-07:00business travelflyingHP Mini 110in flight wifiSouthwest AirlinesI Still Hate FlyingI had to fly to Houston last week. This was my first business travel in nearly 18 months. I flew out on Southwest on a flight that left on time. That's the good news. Getting to the flight was “a whole lot of no fun.” First, I chose the less expensive daily parking and didn’t realize just how far from the terminal I parked. It was 97 degrees according to my Blackberry’s weather app and I really felt it. I was hot, bothered and sweaty when I got to the nice, air conditioned part of the terminal.<br><br> I had an e-ticket and only a carry on bag so I used the self service check in terminal and got my boarding pass. Then came the nice, long security line in a part of the terminal that was NOT air conditioned. Aside from the usual hassles, like taking off my shoes and belt and pulling out <a href="http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2010/09/hp-mini-110-netbook-almost-one-year.html">my netbook</a>, the screening process was uneventful. I was just really hot (as in worse than outside) and bothered and sweaty again. I stopped on the way to the gate area and got a chocolate shake at Cinnabon. I didn’t need the calories but it helped cool me off.<br><br> Sometime, during the wait at the gate, the air conditioning finally came on. In the meanwhile I was pretty uncomfortable. I texted and called and let people know my flight was on time. Then I eventually took my place in the Southwest cattle call line to wait my turn to board.<br><br> The flight was completely full. I took less than a minute to get my laptop bag out of my overnight and an incredibly rude man complained that I was holding up people getting on the plane. Tough! I got the netbook out so at least I could keep busy during the flight. Did I mention that it was incredibly hot in the plane? I got really hot and bothered again. Once we were in the air it did cool off and the flight was only a little turbulent, as in not enough to make me feel sick. The one real improvement over the last time I flew was that <a href="http://www.southwest.com/wifi/">Southwest now offers wifi</a> on some flights if you’re willing to pay an extra $5 and this was one of them. The landing was smooth. I arrived feeling lousy and stinky but at least I was on the ground.<br><br> I had to go directly from where I was the next morning to <a href="http://houstonhobby.com/">Hobby Airport</a> for my afternoon flight home to Raleigh so I was traveling in a suit. That’s not a great choice for hot weather, is it? Anyway, the security line was long again. I’m still really uncomfortable with the full body scanners, BTW, but I really had no choice but to go through them. I got to the gate and had a nice, extra long wait since my flight was delayed by 25 minutes. There was free wifi but it would intermittently disappear and my connection would go away.<br><br> There is no longer an afternoon non-stop so I got to take the extra long scenic route via a plane change in St. Louis, now with a short layover.<br><br> Once I got on the plane it was hot again, though not as bad as yesterday. It could have been worse. It’s supposed to be 107 degrees in Houston on Sunday. I got out before it went from really hot to insanely hot. The take off and early part of the flight was quite turbulent, as in bad enough to induce nausea. Once the turbulence passed I felt better. I was even able to eat the complimentary peanuts and drink a cup of cranberry juice on that first leg of the trip home. That may not have been such a great idea as airplane lavatories are as disgusting as ever. There was no wifi on this flight. Landing was somewhat more turbulent than take off. I can imagine my complexion turned to an interesting shade of green.<br><br> There was no risk of missing my connection at St. Louis. I originally had an hour and a half layover. Of course, the flight to Raleigh was delayed too, this time by 20 minutes, so I had plenty of time at the airport. Take off this time was uneventful but once again the flight was full. I was also surrounded by families with young, screaming and/or crying children. Thankfully I had headphones and plenty of music with me. There was no wifi on this flight either.<br><br> All in all I got home around 10:30 PM and was asleep half an hour later. This was a stressful little trip even without the flights. I must have been both emotionally and physically exhausted. I woke up around 2:15 the next afternoon. I still hate flying.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-still-hate-flying.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-3976139284046607496Tue, 29 May 2012 16:11:00 +00002012-05-29T09:13:22.228-07:00I.T. job marketLinuxrecruitersRed Hat Enterprise Linuxskillsettechnical recruitersU.S. economyWindowsJobs That Nobody Qualifies For<P>Like most I.T. professionals I get contacted regularly by headhunters and recruiters who would like to place me with their clients. I also participate in a number of Linux related groups on the business social networking site LinkedIn. I do try to keep abreast of market conditions and I do read job postings now and again.</P> <P>We all know that the U.S. economy is still creating jobs at a relatively slow pace, salaries are down at least a little, and even in I.T. many good people are looking for work. One of the net results is that a company or recruiter can get inundated with résumés for a given position. Companies can and do put out long wish lists of skills and experience to reduce the number of applicants to those who most closely match the position and related positions within their I.T. departments. That's all well and good. However, sometimes those desired or required skills effectively reduce the pool of qualified people to zero.</P> <P>Here is a great example. This was the #1 requirement for a Senior Linux Administrator position:<blockquote>• 8+ years working with RHES v5.x+ and CentOS v5.x+ Linux systems administration.</blockquote>The first public beta of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 was <a href="https://www.redhat.com/archives/rhelv5-announce/2006-September/msg00000.html">announced</a> on September 7, 2006. Nobody on the planet has that level of experience. Eight years ago RHEL 4.0 wasn't even released yet. It's even worse for Microsoft admins. I saw a position demanding 10 years of experience or more in SQL Server 2008 and Office 2010.</P> <P>Who writes these requirements? Can't they read a calendar? I guess basic math is not a requirement to work in some HR departments or as a recruiter for some companies. Ridiculous doesn't even begin to describe this and yet I see things like this over and over again.</P>http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/05/jobs-that-nobody-qualifies-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-5307659438910305369Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +00002012-01-31T08:15:29.868-08:00freedom of religionknow-nothingMitt RomneyNPRHeard on the Radio This MorningA Mitt Romney supporter this morning on NPR: "We need to get rid of ridiculous organizations like the EPA, Muslims and unions." Since when is Muslims an organization? I thought it was a religious affiliation. So, what this Republican was saying is we need to get rid of freedom of religion, at least for religions he doesn't like. Lovely. I'd want to keep the other "ridiculous organizations" too.<br /><br />It's simply frightening how many know-nothings we have in this country on both the right and the left.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/01/heard-on-radio-this-morning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-1491347931952178612Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:18:00 +00002012-01-25T13:28:59.850-08:00cable TVfree TVinternet streamingTVMore and More Americans Ditching Cable TVIt seems that 20% of Americans have either <a href="http://www.webpronews.com/deliotte-media-study-2012-01">ditched cable TV</a> or are planning to do so: <blockquote>"9 percent of people have already cut the cord and 11 percent are considering doing so because they can watch almost all of their favorite shows online."</blockquote>Those same people might find they could get some of the remaining programs with an antenna. <br /><br />I ditched cable when I moved to my present apartment almost a year ago. I was looking for ways to cut costs during a time when my income has been a bit erratic. Since digital television came along stations multicast, which means many TV stations now have 3 or 4 channels where they used to have one. I can pick up somewhere around 40 channels where I live in Raleigh. Some of the channels I receive are considered to be outside the Raleigh-Durham market and are not offered by cable or satellite in this area. My best friend in Franklin Co. (where I used to live) picks up about the same number, though the list is slightly different. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eZF2omSagiE/TyBx84llBWI/AAAAAAAAAG0/nTTWCrJtG-o/s1600/cs2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eZF2omSagiE/TyBx84llBWI/AAAAAAAAAG0/nTTWCrJtG-o/s320/cs2.jpg" /></a></div>My antenna, an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direct-C2-CLEARSTREAM2-Antenna/dp/B0017O3UHI/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header">Antennas Direct ClearStream 2</a>, is indoors, sits on top of my entertainment center, and gives me perfect HD reception. I live in a second story apartment. That's a stock picture. Mine sits sideways as I have very limited space between the top of the entertainment center and the ceiling. It works just fine on it's side and the extra height did seem to help a bit on one more distant station (4 channels). One month on HD cable costs as much as the antenna, which can also be mounted outdoors with even better results. As a renter in an apartment that just isn't an option for me.<br /><br />There are also lots of opportunities to stream programming from the Internet for free. For example, CNN had free streaming of the last Republican debate they carried. Most of the networks will let you stream any episodes you missed from their websites as well. <a href="http://www.hulu.com/">Hulu</a> also offers lots of free programming including many cable programs. <br /><br />If that isn't enough for you the add HuluPlus or Netflix for less than $10 per month. It's a lot cheaper than cable. I get all the TV I want to watch for free. I can't imagine ever paying the cable company again.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2012/01/more-and-more-americans-ditching-cable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-5615620278154327808Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:25:00 +00002011-12-04T22:58:26.672-08:00Arab Springdisplaced Vermonter syndromeforeign policyIsraelJerusalemmedia biasMiddle EastBe Careful What You Wish For<i>Note: This is a rare cross post from my newly revived <a href="http://israel-aliya.blogspot.com/2011/12/be-careful-what-you-wish-for.html">Zionism and Aliya</a> blog. The issues involved deal with more than just the Arab-Israeli conflict. This piece touches on what I believe to be a fundamental flaw in U.S. foreign policy and in the media reporting of these and similar issues around the world.</i><br /><br />For months the American and European media reported on the so-called Arab Spring as if it was a breakthrough for democracy in the Arab world. Dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen have now been overthrown, with varying degrees of force and loss of life. The Western media acted as cheerleaders and Western leaders, including President Obama, first encouraged the overthrow of these regimes and then hailed these events as victories for freedom. Sadly, they were nothing of the sort.<br /><br />Across the Arab world where elections, many of them the first free elections these countries have seen, are being won by Islamists who believe that democracy is a form of Western decadence. Assuming the Islamists come to power in some of these countries we could see the sort of one and done elections we saw in Gaza, where the winners, Hamas, promptly eliminated the democratic process that brought them to power as well as their opponents. It is very likely that the end result could be even more repressive than the dictators which have been deposed.<br /><br />Somehow this hasn't quite dawned on the press who are trying to find distinctions and differences between the various Islamist and jihadist groups who seem poised to come to power across the Middle East. The Associated Press, in reporting the results of the Egyptian elections, engaged in some truly amazing and contradictory double speak. The first few paragraphs of <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45540682/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/#.TtxNFoS-T0Q">their article</a> are factual. For example:<blockquote>The High Election Commission said the Islamic fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party garnered 36.6 percent of the 9.7 million valid ballots cast for party lists. The Nour Party, a more hardline Islamist group, captured 24.4 percent.</blockquote>Having accurately described the parties involved the author(s) of the piece then find it necessary to tell us that, really, the Muslim Brotherhood might be moderates after all:<blockquote>The party has positioned itself as a moderate Islamist party that wants to implement Islamic law without sacrificing personal freedoms, and has said it will not seek an alliance with the more radical Nour party.</blockquote>Really? How could anyone come to that conclusion in the wake of what was said at the Brotherhood rally just before the election? The following is from <a href="http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=247078">The Jerusalem Post article on the rally</a> since the American media somehow didn't find this newsworthy:<blockquote>Muhammad Ahmed el- Tayeb, the imam of al-Azhar Mosque, told the crowd: “Al- Aksa Mosque is currently under an offensive by the Jews... We shall not allow the Zionists to Judaize al-Quds [Jerusalem]. We are telling Israel and Europe that we shall not allow even one stone to be moved there.”<br /><br />Protesters chanted, “Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv: Judgment Day has come,” and passages from the Koran vowing that “one day we shall kill all the Jews.”</blockquote>How is promising genocide for the Jewish people moderate? Can someone please explain that to me? Why are mainstream media outlets making excuses for these people?<br /><br />John Henry, of the liberal <a href="http://www.lowgenius.net">Low Genius blog</a>, hit the nail squarely on the head in a discussion on Facebook:<blockquote>I think that western minds have a very serious problem parsing the idea that there really are some people - ordinary people who live under these regimes - who *don't want democracy*. We could go round for hours about why that is, but all the talk won't address that simple issue: what do you do when a people, given the option, *choose despotism*?</blockquote>His comments referred both to the Russian elections and the recent elections in the Arab world. Here was my response to him:<blockquote>Mostly it falls into cultural differences and what these people are taught in their schools (assuming they have them), by their media, and in their houses of worship. One of the reasons American foreign policy fails in so much of the world is that we tend to look at everyone as if they are displaced Vermonters. All we have to do is show them freedom and democracy and "the American way" (whatever that is) and they will suddenly be just like us. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have operated under this illusion. The result is what we are seeing in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Americans are absolutely despised and where we will likely end up with totally hostile regimes.</blockquote>Sadly the media also operates under the "displaced Vermonter" notion and wishes for events that have horrendous consequences that they can't seem to fathom even though they should be obvious to anyone who knows the Middle East at all. I fear the end results will not only be more repressive regimes but also a destabilization of the Middle East and a bloody regional war started by an attack on Israel. An old saw seems to apply: Be careful what you wish for; it may come to pass.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2011/12/be-careful-what-you-wish-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-6356648088403609912Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +00002011-11-29T12:56:14.154-08:00Applecorporate welfareeconomic crisisGreat Recessionjob creationpoliticstax breaksunemployment benefitsBig Business is NOT Creating Jobs; Corporate Tax Breaks are a Huge Waste of MoneyRepublicans keep telling us that only the private sector can create jobs. They claim, time and again, that reducing corporate tax rates and giving huge tax breaks to big corporations creates jobs. Maybe, once upon a time, there was a degree of truth to the idea. In today's economy it's pure bunk.<br /><br />I'd like to share a recent example from here in North Carolina. Apple built a new, huge new data center here. How many jobs did that create? A whopping 50! That's right, there are only 50 new jobs there. Let me quote from <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/apple-huge-data-center-north-carolina-created-only-143852640.html">an article on Yahoo! Finance</a>, which is originally from Business Insider:<br /><blockquote>"Apple has chosen to manufacture its products where it can manufacture them most efficiently--outside the U.S. And Apple's shareholders are benefiting accordingly. <br /><br />[...] <br /><br />But the point is that the hope that a few more companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon will restore the U.S. economy to its former glory is misplaced. <br /><br />The companies create amazing products and vast shareholder wealth, but they don't spread this wealth around as much as earlier industrial giants did."</blockquote>Please note that I deliberately chose an article from a business publication, not a left-leaning political site. It seems even business reporters can see the truth now.<br /><br />So, how can we create more jobs in this country? It's not all that hard: you hire people. It worked for FDR in the 1930s and it can work now. No, government hiring for public works projects didn't end the Great Depression, but it did reduce unemployment from nearly a third of the workforce down to 12%.<br /><br />First, start by rehiring the teachers, firefighters and police officers who were let go because of state and local budget cutting and the end of stimulus funds. The "<a href="http://themiddleclass.org/bill/s-1723-teachers-and-first-responders-back-work-act-2011">Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2011</a>", originally part President Obama's jobs bill, would have done that. It was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/us/politics/new-senate-battle-over-obamas-jobs-bill-now-piecemeal.html">blocked in the Senate</a> by every last Republican, one independent (Joseph Lieberman) and two conservative Democrats (Bill Pryor and Ben Nelson). Polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans do not support the cuts to education and to first responders. The cost of the bill would have been $35 billion.<br /><br />Second, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure in this country. Even the pro-business, conservative <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/us_chamber_endorses_obamas_cal.html">Chamber of Commerce endorsed</a> President Obama's call for more investment in our nation's infrastructure. Once again, public support is there for repairing and building roads, bridges, the power grid, and other needed projects. Once again, the <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/03/news/la-pn-senate-jobs-vote-20111103">Republicans blocked the bill</a> in the Senate. The cost would have been $60 billion.<br /><br />Bare in mind that Republicans opposed closing tax loopholes on the wealthiest Americans to pay for these bills. I still have yet to hear a rational explanation from Republicans telling me how tax the breaks they defend for luxury yachts, private jets and second homes is good for the economy or will create jobs. I do know that employed people, whether in the public or private sector, spend money which helps businesses profit, creates more jobs and, in turn creates more consumer spending. Employed people pay a heck of a lot more in taxes than unemployed people too, which reduces the deficit. Coming back to my original point: corporate welfare, whether it's subsidies for oil and energy companies or tax breaks to build a new data center, are a huge waste of money which does nothing for ordinary taxpayers but does enrich a small slice of the top 1%. Corporate welfare also increases the deficit by more than enough to pay for the two jobs bills I referenced.<br /><br />The plain fact is that Republicans are deliberately tanking the economy and killing job creation because they believe that people will <a href="http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2011/08/its-all-president-obamas-fault.html">blame President Obama</a> and elect more Republicans next year. They are all about their own power and their wealthy and big corporate donors and to hell with the rest of us. Maybe, just maybe the Occupy movement is finally waking people up to that reality. Maybe instead of the "throw the rascals out" mentality we saw in 2010 we might just get the "throw the 1% and their lackeys out" mentality we really need. Maybe, just maybe, people will pay attention and put the blame where it belongs this time.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2011/11/big-business-is-not-creating-jobs-tax.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-1817239816691694942Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:29:00 +00002011-11-24T22:42:00.097-08:00Afghanistanantiwar musicElectric Light OrchestraELOKuiamamusicprotest songssenseless killingwar on terrorWhere is the Outrage?I've been listening to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Light_Orchestra">ELO</a> lately for the first time in a long time. What does a '70s and '80s pop band known for love songs have to do with anger and outrage? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Af4Pv2pSZJQ/Ts8nsbanwVI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/defBAtdDUK8/s1600/ELO_ELO2_album_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="199" width="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Af4Pv2pSZJQ/Ts8nsbanwVI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/defBAtdDUK8/s200/ELO_ELO2_album_cover.jpg" /></a></div>Well... my first ELO album, one of the first records I ever bought, was <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELO_2">Electric Light Orchestra II</a></i>. I got it when I was maybe in ninth grade. <i>On The Third Day</i>, the first pop ELO album, was out by then, but the song that had originally received lots of airplay was the seven minute long cover of <i>Roll Over Beethoven</I> and that's what I wanted. Once I had the album that wasn't the song that grabbed me.<br /><br />When <i>Electric Light Orchestra II</i> was recorded in 1972 the Vietnam War was still raging. ELO gave the majority of side 2 of the record to an antiwar song called <i>Kuiama</i>. Band members still claim it's the best song they ever did. If you haven't heard it the word "dark" doesn't even begin to do it justice. Even the instrumental section, which runs for maybe six minutes, is dismal. Don't get me wrong, it's brilliantly done, but it is effectively written to bring out the sadness and anger and guilt that match the story. From WikiPedia:<blockquote>At 11:19, it is the longest track on the album, and the longest song ever recorded by Electric Light Orchestra. It tells the tale of a soldier who has found an orphan girl wandering the ruins of a battle-ravaged village in the Vietnam war. The soldier is trying to comfort the girl and also to explain how he was the one who killed her parents.</blockquote>The deeply affected vocals feature some of ELO's trademark harmonies and lots of overdubs, but they aren't anywhere near the pleasant sound the band would be later known for.<blockquote>Kuia stop your cryin, <br />there's no bombs a'fallin<br />no horsemen in the night <br />a'ridin through your dreams <br />and tearing at your life<br />baby goodnight<br /><br />No more silver rain will hit your ground<br />and no more guns will sound<br />and no more life be drowned<br />No more trenches where the soldiers lie<br />and no more people die<br />beneath that big black sky<br /><br />Wake up Kuiama, I got somethin to tell you<br />it's just that I mean, well that is to say,<br />that I'm trying to explain but I'll start again,<br />for you, I must be true.<br /><br />[...]<br /><br />Kuia please believe me. I just couldn't help myself.<br />I wanted to run but they gave me a gun<br />and they told me the duty I owed to my Fatherland.<br />I made my stand.<br /><br />Kuia I just shot them, I just blew their heads open,<br />and I heard them scream in their agony</blockquote>How many real life Kuiamas are there in Afghanistan today? What can we accomplish there? Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, is dead. So are most of his lieutenants from that time. The Taliban are based now in Pakistan, not Afghanistan. Don't worry, our drones are bombing Pakistan too.<br /><br />The government we support in Afghanistan stole the last election and has little popular support in the country. We Americans are absolutely hated in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is no longer any possibility of a good outcome, much like Vietnam in the early 1970s. President Obama says we will be fighting there for another three years. Why? Some Republicans excoriate the President for setting a departure date at all. They want us to stay and keep killing until the mission is accomplished. What mission? What on earth can be accomplished other than more needless deaths?<br /><br />Where is the outrage that caused Jeff Lynne to write a song like <i>Kuiama</i>? Where is the horror at the senseless loss of life that goes on day in and day out. What possible purpose can it serve? What "victory" can we achieve?<br /><br />Two Republican Presidential candidates, former Utah Governor John Huntsman and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, actually have the right answer: get out of Afghanistan and withdraw now. They are the modern equivalent of Senator George McGovern (D-SD) in 1972. Like Sen. McGovern they have no chance of winning. Heck, they have no chance of being nominated. The leading Republican candidates according to the polls are the most bloodthirsty of the bunch.<br /><br />Have we, as a society, become so numb to the horrors of war that we just accept it? Where are today's protest songs? Why are we seeing people protesting Wall Street and greed and the corrupting effect of unlimited money flowing into the political system (which are worthy of protest) but nobody protesting a decade of unrelenting war? This 40 year old song can still stir emotions. Maybe people need to listen to it again.<br /><br />Here is the original 1972 version and the 1999 version from <i>Live at the BBC</i>:<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gBz4VDow3Io" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U1oqBJY3SVs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2011/11/where-is-outrage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-472290684441661842Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:45:00 +00002011-11-24T21:47:01.628-08:00economic crisislayoffsThanksgivingunemployment benefitsAs Bad as Things Seem...This week, just before the Thanksgiving holiday, I learned that the company which had been my largest customer this fall had filed for bankruptcy and closed their doors. They were a wholesaler/distributor and the Christmas orders from retailers never came this year. Oh, I'm sure they had some but sales were so low compared to previous years they simply could not stay in business. The newly unemployed former IT Director, my main contact there, gave me the courtesy of a call to let me know. He's in his upper fifties. His job is not going to be easy to replace, especially in this economy.<br /><br />As frustrated as I am at times with the direction I see things moving in I know that they could be much worse. I, at least, still have some customers and some income. The lights are on, the heat is running when needed, and I know when my next checks should arrive. My income isn't what it should be, but considering how many people are unemployed, some for a very long time, I'm fortunate by comparison.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2011/11/as-bad-as-things-seem.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609528911114832799.post-2675772162012117796Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:52:00 +00002011-11-16T12:52:06.287-08:00Bill QuistCD reviewclassical musicErik SatiemusicCD Review: Bill Quist - Piano Solos of Erik SatieI think about three years have passed since I posted a review of a CD from my collection to my blog, and I don't think I've ever taken the time to review one of the classical albums I occasionally enjoy. Before returning to politics and news and other weighty matters I thought it might be nice to write about a CD I really like.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Z7fS_cAsp8/TsQg-6epxrI/AAAAAAAAAGE/J8rc50sXZvw/s1600/quist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="319" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Z7fS_cAsp8/TsQg-6epxrI/AAAAAAAAAGE/J8rc50sXZvw/s320/quist.jpg" /></a></div>More than 30 years after it's initial release, this recording still stands up as my favorite of Erik Satie's piano works. Recorded in a studio rather than a concert hall, it has a rich and full sound and the works are performed beautifully. Windham Hill wasn't known as a classical label. This may be their only true classical release but it is an outstanding one. Brian Eno refers to Satie as the father of ambient music. That may fit for some of the pieces but I sure wouldn't want to try to nod off to Bill Quist's forceful perfomance of Ogives #1. Some of Satie's compositions selected here are delicate and beautiful, of course. In general, this is an excellent selection of his short piano works performed by a pianist associated with the San Francisco Symphony. <br /><br />I should note that this album has been out of print for years. Used copies are usually available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Solos-Erik-Satie-Quist/dp/B00000E9X0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1321476485&sr=1-1">Amazon.com</a> and other websites which carry used CDs. Highly recommended.<br /><br />NOTE: The main part of this review has also been posted on <a href="http://www.discogs.com/release/2202388">Discogs</a>.http://ever-increasing-entropy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cd-review-bill-quist-piano-solos-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlyn Martin)0